Car-coupling



2 $heets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

I. KLING.

OAR COUPLING.

No. 396,878. Patented Jan. 29, 1889-.

ait names N PETERS. Phaioiflhngnphen Washmgiom D. C.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I. KLING.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 396,878. Patented Jan. 29, 1889..

III

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ISAAC KLING, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,878, dated January29, 1889.

Application filed August I, 1888. Fierial liloi 281,688. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC KLING, of Louisville, in the county ofJefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain n ew and use fulImprovements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of referencemarked thereon, which form part of this specification, in which-- Figure1 is an end view of a car having my improved coupling applied. Fig. 2 isa side view in detail of Fig. 1. Fig. is ahorizontal transversesectional view of the coupler, showing the coupling-hook locked in fulllines and in its different positions by dotted lines. Fig. 4 is acentral vertical section through the coupler looking toward the hook,which is locked. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line a: on, Fig. Fig. (3is a bottom plan view of the hook. Fig. 7 is a detail view of thedraw-bar, showing the lower bearing of the hook. Fig. 8 is a detail sideview of the hook and hinge. Fig. 9 is a detail view in section, showingthe parts arranged to couple with a link-and-pin device.

The present invention is animprovedautomatic car-coupler, and itsobjects are to provide a self-acting coupler of the twinjaw type, butwhich is also adapted to automatically operate as a linkamfl-pincoupler; and it consists in the hereinafter-described novel and usefulcombination and construction of the pivoted hook, the draw-bar, and thelooking devices, and. in a novel arrangement of levers and links wherebythe couplings may be disengaged.

In the drawings annexed, A designates the draw-bar, which of generalordinary construction, as shown, having an offset portion at one side,in which are formed perforated lugs a a, for receim'ng the verticalhinge-bolt b of the hook B. This hook has an enlarged curved lockingpart, B, and a shank, l), which lies between lu a a, that are properlyrecessed 011 their inner faces to receive the shank. Bolt b passesthrough said shank, so that the hook swings horizontally thereon betweencars a a. The upper and lower faces of part B are cut away, as shown atB B adjoining shank Z). A slot or recess, b,is formed in the side of theelevated.

draw-bar, in rear of and between cars a a, into which the reducedportion of the hook enters when the latter is swung sutlieientlybackward.

O is the locking-arm of hook I which proj ects inward from shank I), andis adapted to enter the mouth of the draw-bar, the latter being properlyrecessed at u/ to accommodate the arm when the link is closed.

D is a locking-tumbler placed centrally in the throat of the draw-barand is of general rectangular shape. It is pivoted at rear on ahorizontal rod, d, passing through the side walls of the draw-bar, sothat its front end will fall by gravity to the bottom of the drawbarwhen released. The front face of the tumbler is rounded, as shown, onits upper and lower edges, and it has a swell, D", on its bottom nearits front end,whicli. not only serves to increase its gravitation, butalso to impinge or press upon the link when inserted thereunder. Inorder to allow this tumbler to properly oscillate, the upper wall of thedrawbar is chambered at A above the tumbler, so that it can be tiltedupward when necessary. To the rear end of the tumbler is attached adepending link, E, which is pivoted in a slot, c, of the tumbler behindthe pivot (Z thereof, the link depending through a slot, a, in the lowerside of the draw-bar. By depressing link E the tumbler is tilted and itsfront end \Vhen hook B is closed, its arm C swings inward, engagingtumbler D, and in order to make it pass readily thereunder the end ofthe arm is rounded, as at C, so that it will engage the rounded face ofthe tumbler and lift the latter sufficiently to permit the arm to passto the side of the tumbler. The corner D of the tumbler is inclined androunded to facilitate the movement of the arm thereunder. The side ofthe block next arm 0, when the latter is closed, has an upwardly beveledshoulder, d, formed on it, and the adjoining face 0 of arm 0 is reduceddiagonally, and this reduced portion is inclined from bottom to top, thebottom being wider than the top to engage with the oppositely-inclinedshoulder of the tumbler D.

At the j unetion of arm 0 with the shank and part B is formed aninclined depending guide-lug, and on the lower face of shank Z), to oneside of this incline, is a short depending lug, f. In the upper face ofthe lowermost lug (L are formed two notches, f f, the latter near therear end of the lug and wall of the draw-head,and the former in thefront face thereof. The depending guide lug or incline F, when the hookis turned inward, en gages a rounded corner, F, formed on the front edgeof the bottom of the draw-bar near the lower lug a, and causes the hookto rise simultaneously with the engagement of the arm and tumbler, andwhen the arm is locked by the tumbler the hook is upheld by andsupported upon this incline F, which bears upon the front edge of thedraw-bar floor, and if the tumbler be raised by depressing link E thehook is released and its weight causes it to ride down on incline F, andin doing this it is swung open. As it turns outwardly in its descent,the lug f is brought into position to engage notch f, which limits theoutward swing of the hook, and it is thus retained in the properposition for recoupling with a similar opposite hook on anotherdraw-bar, as is evident. This position the hook always assumesautomatically when its arm C is released from tumbler D. \Vhen it isdesired to couple the draw-bar to alink-and-pin coupling, the hook F,after swinging open, as described, is lifted on its hinge-bolt until lugf disengages notch fan d turn ed backward until the lug drops into notchf, when the hook and its arm will be out of the way of the link and willbe retained in such position until it again turns forward.

The engagingfaces of the arm 0 and tumbler D being oppositely beveled orinclined, as described, it will be observed by reference to the drawingsthat when the arm locked the tumbler acts as a wedge to bind the armtightly against the side of the draw-bar and thus absolutely prevent anylost motion or free play of the arm between the tumbler and side of thedraw-head, thus insuring thepositive locking of the hook and effectuallypreventing jerking or jarring of the latter on its hinge.

The draw-head is provided with ordinary pin-openings, g g, in its topand bottom, and the front edge of tumbler D when down proj ects slightlyover the lower opening, so that when the coupling-pin G is inserted inthe upper opening it will be upheld by the tumbler. Then when a link isthrust into the drawhead it will slip under the rounded edge of thetumbler, raise the latter, and release the pin, which drops into place,and the link is thus automatically coupled.

The inner end of the link would be pressed upon by the swell on thebottom of the tumbler, and the link could be held thereby in a properposition to engage another link-coupler draw-head. The link-couplingfeature is fully described in my patent, No. 370,343, of I September 20,1887, in which is shown a tumbler similar to D and a weight-la er forsaid tumbler, hereinafter referred to.

To increase the bite of the tumbler and insure its quick gravitation, Iemploy a pivoted lever-block, II, which is inserted in the throat of thedraw-bar in rear of tumbler D, and is pivoted near its front end on atransverse horizontal rod, 7L, as shown. of block II is curved under therear end of the tumbler and is slotted to accommodate link E. \Vhen thefront end of tumbler D is elevated,.it causes the elevation of the rearend of block II, which may be weighted, and when the tumbler is releasedthe gravital force of block II is transferred direct to the tumbler, sothat the latter has a very powerful leverage exerted on it and isinsured against any accidental tilting by jarring, and there is nodanger of an accidental release of the hook-arm.

To effect the release of the coupling from the side of the car, I employthe devices shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These consist of a horizon.- talred, I, journaled in suitable bearings transversely of and below thedraw-bar, and having a forwardly-extending arm, 1', pivotally connectedto the depending link E, as shown. .I is an upstanding arm on one end ofrod I at the side of the draw-bar, which is pivotally connected by alink, j, with a depending arm, 7.3, of a horizontal rod, K, journaledtransversely of the car above the draw-bar and having depending handlesL L at its ends. By properly oscillating rod K its connections cause theoscillation of red I, and the latter causes the depression of link E andconsequent lifting of the front end of the tumbler and release of thehook.

The front en d' It will be observed that there are no openings in theupper face of the draw-bar exceptin g the link-pin openings,which mightbe omitted, and these openings are in front of the tumbler an (1 block.Consequently thelatter are effectually protected from the weather, andthere is no danger of their becoming clogged by dirt or snow and icesifting therein, as is the case where the couplings are exposed to theweather and therea-re openings in the draw-bar above the lockingdevices.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of thedraw-bar and the adjustable horizontally-swinging hook thereon with thepivoted oscillating lockingtumbler pivoted in the draw-bar and thedepending link for oscillating the same, sub-- stantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the draw-bar and swinging hook hinged thereto, andhaving a locking bevel-faced arm, with a tumbler pivoted in thedraw-bar, having a beveled shoulder engaging said arm when locked, andthe depending link pivotally-connected to said tumbler, substantially asdescribed.

In a car-coupler, the combination of the draw-bar, having pin-openin and. a slot, at, in its bottom, with the oscillating tumbler D, pivoted ona rod, (1, in rear of the pin-openings and having a rounded front face,and

the link E, pivotally connected withIthe rear end of tumbler D anddepending through the slot ct, substantially as described.

et. The combination of the draw-bar, the oscillating tumbler D therein,and the devices for operating said tumbler with the swinging hook l3,having a shank, Z), pivoted between lugs a of the draw-bar, and also alockingarm, O, provided with an inclined guide, F, formed on the lowerface of the arm at the junction of the arm and shank, substantially asand for the purpose described.

5. The combination of the draw-bar having pairs of hinge-lugs, the lowerone having notches f f in its upper surface, with a swinging hook hingedbetween said lugs, and having an incline, F, at the junction of its armand shank, adapted to lift the hook when the latter is locked and tocause it to swing open when released, and also having a depending lugadapted to engage the notch f when. the hook is partially opened, or toennotch f" when the hook is thrown back out of engagingposition,substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of the draw-bar and the swinging hook pivotedthereon, having a bevel-faced locking-arm,with a tumbler having anoppositely-beveled shoulder engaging said arm when the hook is lockedand a le ver-block engaging said tumbler,substanti all y as set forth.

7. In a coupling, the combination. of the draw-bar having hinge-lugs,the lower one of which has notches in its upper surface, and a swinginghook hinged to saidlugs and having an incline, F, at the junction of itsarm and shank, and a stop-lug adapted to engage said notches, and alsohaving a bevel-facel'l locking-arm, with a bevel-sheuldered oscillatinglocking-tumbler engaging said arm, and the link-connections toroscillating said tumbler, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the draw-bar, its swinging hook, and theoscillating tumbler engaging the same with a depending link pivotallyconnected to said tumbler and the crank-rods and connections fordepressing said link, substantially as. set forth,

9. The combination of the draw-bar and the automatically-swinging hookpivoted thereto, having a bevel-faced locking-arm, with the tumblerpivoted in said draw-bar, having a rounded front edge and a bevelshoulder engaging said arm, the pivoted let er-block engaging saidtumbler, and the depending link for operating the same, substantially asdescribed.

10. The combination of the draw-bar, the swinging hook pivoted thereto,having an incline, F, and a rounded and bevel-faoed locking-arm, with aslotted tumbler pivoted in the draw-bar having a rounded 'front face anda beveled shoulder for engaging the arm, the depending link passingthrough a slot in the floor ot the drmv-bar and pivoted in the slot ofthe tumbler, and the slotted lever-block engaging the tumbler,substantially as specilied.

1]. he combination of the draw-bar, its swinging hook, the oscillatingtumbler for locking the same, and the depending link connected to saidtumbler with the cranked rod below the draw-bar connected to said linkand the cranked rod above the draw-barconnected to and operating thelower rod, substantially as set forth.

'12. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-bar havinghinge-lugs at one side, one of which is notched, as described, and thehorizontally-swinging block hinged to said lugs and having an incline,F, and a lug, f, substantially as described, and a locking-arm having arounded aiid beveled end, with an oscillating locking-tumbler pivoted inthe draw-bar beneath a chamber in the upper wall thereof, and having arounded front end and an inclined side shoulder for engaging and lockingthe arm of the hook, a depending link passing through an, opening in thebottom of the d raw-bar and pivotally connected to said tumbler, and apivoted lever-block engaging said tumbler, all substantially asspecified.

In testimony that I claim, the toregoin as my own I at'iix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

IsAAc" KLING.

